Extension-table



those extension-tables in which the end or of the end sections, and should this be done Arena FFICEQ VILLIAM I'I. MAYS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

EXTENSION-TAB LE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,285, dated January 12, 1897.

Application filed March 29, 1895.

T0 (10% whmn it ma/u concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. MAYs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Extension-Tables, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates particularly to marginal sections are arranged upon slides and are adapted to be drawn out to extend the table without disturbing the main body or frame of the table. It has heretofore been proposed to produce a table of this class hav ing a rigid middle or central section secured to the side rails of the table and provided in its end rails with a mortise or gain to receive square sliding bars which are secured to the end sections and are long enough to extend across the open space between the inner edge of each section and the opposing edge of the rigid middle section and to rest beneath such middle section, to act as a lever having the end rails for a fulcrum and to thus support the end section while in use to prevent it from being tilted downward when any weight is placed thereupon. This construction is very objectionable in that when any one attempts to move a table he naturally grasps it by one with this table the end sections will lift up and will precipitate to the middle of the table any dishes which may be upon the end sections. It has also been proposed to provide a table of this class having in place of the ordinary side rails, rails arranged to form a groove in which the slide-bars of the end sections are arranged to slide. By this construction, however, the slides are caused to contact along their entire length with the guides, and great friction is thus produced. This friction is suificient to ordinarily prevent the opening of the table byone person. Furthermore, this construction is quite expensive, the table is excessively heavy, and special machinery is required to produce it, thus precluding its economical manufacture in small lots by an ordinary carpenter or mechanic.

The principal object of my invention is to produce a table of this class which shall be so simple in its construction that it can be quickly and cheaply produced by any car- Serial No. 548,620. (No model.)

penter having ordinary carpenter tools and yet will be so constructed that the table will be a unit and may be lifted by grasping the end sections Without any liability of displacing the end sections from their normal position by such operation.

A further object of my invention is to produce a table having dovetail slides and guideways and having slides of great length, but having very short guideways, so that the friction between the slides and the guideways will becomparatively slight, and one person can readily extend or contract the table.

My invention comprises the various fea tures of construction and combinations of parts which I employ in accomplishing these objects.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a perspective side elevation of one of my improved tables, showing a portion of the rigid center pieces broken away to eX- pose the construction. end elevation of one of my improved tables. The legs are broken away to contract the view. Fig. 3 is a fragmental detail view illustrating the construction of the central dovetail guideways in which the sliding bars are arranged to slide.

In the drawings, A represents the frame of the table, and B represents a central or middle section which is rigidly secured to the side rails a aof frame.

O and 0 represent the end sections or margins of the table, which are rigidly secured to the sliding bars 0 0', respectively. These bars are each of a length suflicient to extend from one end of the frame A to the other end when the sections are closed to form a small table, and to extend from the end rails A A, respectively, to and across the middle section B when the marginal sections are extended as shown in Fig. 1. In order to secure simplicity of construction, these bars are preferably dovetail in shape, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and I arrange each of such bars in two short separate guideways, one of each of such sections being formed in one of the end rails of the table and the other section being secured to the central or rigid section of the table. In the end rails A A, a represents'the dovetail guideways arranged to receive the Fig. 2 is a fragmental sliding bars. To the middle section B of the table I secure three guide-blocks d, d, and cl, having their opposing faces beveled, and a bottom piece D, fastened to the under side thereof, all so arranged as to form guideways D, in which the guide-bars slide. These guideways, it will be observed, are dovetail in shape, and while allowing the guide-bars to slide endwise prevent the bars from moving to right or left or up and down. Astop c is provided upon the end of each sliding bar to prevent such bar from being drawn out of its respective guideway. As shown in the drawings, the blocks d d d are shown secured to a cross-piece D, which is secured rigidly to the side rails of the frame, but it will be understood that this cross-piece is only for the purpose of securing greater strength, and that in practice the blocks may be secured directly'to the section B.

In practice to extend the table the operator grasps one of the end ormarginal sections and pulls it outward, the sliding bars slide easily through the short guideways a and D. Then the fill or removable section (not shown) is placed between the marginal section and the rigid middle section and the end section is slid back to close any cracks between the parts. The usual dowels and sockets are provided to cause the removable sections or leaves to be firmly held in place, so that when the table is extended it may be grasped by either the end sections or the removable sections without any fear of displacement of such parts.

It will be seen that by means of a saw and chisel the dovetail guideways can be quickly made in the end rails; also, the blocks 61 d d, having plain beveled faces, can be dressed out with ordinary planes, sawed into proper length, and secured to the rigid middle section without difficulty. Thus my improved table can be produced very cheaply and expeditiously inany carpenter-shop, and no special tools are required in its manufacture, while its operation is superior to any other table of which I am aware.

' Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an extension-table, the combination of the frame having the central or middle section rigidly secured thereto; the end or marginal sections each rigidly secured to slidebars arranged to reach, when the table is extended, from the end rails of the frame to the rigid middle section, each slide-bar being arranged to slide in two short guideways, one provided in the end rails and the other formed of blocks secured to the middle section, all of such guideways being adapted to allow the slides to slide endwise therein, but to prevent their movement in any other direction, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination set forth of the frame having the middle sect-ion rigidly secured to its side rails, and having the dovetail guideways provided in its end rails; the short dovetail guideways secured to the middle section; the dovetail slide-bars, each arranged to slide in one of the guideways in the end rails, and

in one of the guideways secured to the middle section, and the end or marginal sections secured to the slides, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the frame having the middle section rigidly secured toits side rails; the middle guideways each formed of three blocks secured to the rigid middle section and having their opposing faces beveled, and a bottom piece secured to the blocks, all arranged to form two short dovetail guideways the end rails of the frame having the dovetail guideways provided therein; the dovetail slide-bars, each arranged to slide in one of the guideways of the middle section and one of the guideways of the end sections, and the end or marginal sections secured to the slidebars, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

\V. H. MAYS.

Vitnesses:

JAMES R. TOWNSEND, ALFRED I. TOWNSEND. 

